14. Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
Reeve
"Where am I taking you tonight?" I ask, placing my arm along the back of her seat, while looking over my shoulder as I reverse the car and spin it around.
She sighs and glances out the window. "Blackrock Point trailer park."
I watch her out of the corner of my eye as we make our way down the long road away from the clubhouse.
"You live there?"
Turning to look at me, she nods.
"Just moved back there, but it's hopefully only a temporary thing."
Turning onto the winding lane that leads back into town, I can't stop my eyes from drifting back over to her, concerned by her words and the frown that's now taken over her face.
"Why'd you move back?"
She drags her lower lip between her teeth and shrugs.
"I lived in the college dorms, but then some shit happened, and I dropped out, so I couldn't exactly stay there," she mutters. "I stayed with my friend for summer break, but with her going back to college, I thought it was time to get out of her hair."
More questions filter through my brain, but I clamp my jaw shut, not allowing myself to ask a single one.
If I could convince myself I was only curious because I had suspicions about why she was working at the club, then I'd pepper her with the questions until she answered every single one, but I know there's a deeper meaning for me wanting to know shit about her, one I can't allow myself to explore.
Turning into the trailer park, I let her guide me through the rows of tin houses until I'm pulling up outside of hers.
"Thanks for the lift," she says, as she shoots me a timid smile, then grabs her bag from the footwell and opens the door.
"You don't have a car, do you?" I ask, having noticed the absence of a vehicle in the parking spot beside her trailer.
She laughs as she climbs out, then bends down so I can see her as she shakes her head.
"Never really needed one," she says with a shrug. Her hair falls around her face, casting a shadow over her freckled skin. "Who knows, though, maybe with the money I'll now be earning, I might be able to buy one once I pay off the rent for this place."
My brows pull together, and I scratch at my beard as realization dawns that she's been walking to work in the mornings, and her plan has been to walk home as well. In the dark. By herself.
Before I can respond, she stands up straight, takes a step back, then places her hand on the door.
"See you tomorrow, Reeve."
"Later, Red," I reply, although the door's already shut by the time I manage to speak.
She rounds the car toward the trailer, but when she reaches the rickety steps, my eyes involuntarily drop to her little denim shorts.
I watch with rapt fascination as the denim stretches around her ass when she lifts her foot and places it on the first step.
When she yanks on the trailer door, I struggle to contain the groan bubbling up my throat when her ass jiggles slightly from the movement.
Tearing my eyes away, I wait for her to close the door behind her before I stretch my fingers out, put the car back in gear and drive away.
Walking back into the bar, I'm surprised to see Slate sitting in one of the booths, as well as Milo and Cruz over by the bar, both of them with a beer in their hands.
Slipping my phone from my pocket, I check the time. Seeing it's almost midnight, I frown.
Moving to the booth Slate's sitting in, I slide in opposite him.
"What's going on?" I ask.
He glances up from the beer bottle in his hands and shrugs.
"Been discussing plans for our ride next weekend," he says, peeling the label off, then dropping it onto the table. "We were figuring out the best routes to take to get to Vegas."
Nodding, I stare at the shredded pile of paper scattered on the table with narrowed eyes.
"Make sure you clean that up," I tell him. But when he gives me a puzzled look, I point at the mess he's made.
Trix had only just cleaned, and within the space of half an hour, it's already being messed up.
Slipping back out of the booth, I make my way toward the stairs, wanting to go to my bedroom and go to sleep, but my name being called from behind me has my steps faltering.
Glancing over my shoulder, I see Ghost standing by the door that leads through to the downstairs bathroom.
"I've got some information for you," he says, spinning around and going back the way he came.
Milo walks over to me as I move toward the door Ghost went through.
"This about the girl Trix was seen with?"
I shrug as we reach Ghost's door. Pushing it open, I find him sitting in front of the screens on his desk.
"The girl's name is Emery," he says, as he brings up a picture of her, alongside a document containing her home address, age, height, and close relations. "Miss Emery Upton."
"The fuck did you just say?" Milo shouts, pushing past me and storming over to Ghost's desk.
My brows furrow as I too make my way over there. My eyes bounce to the picture of her, then back to the writing next to it.
"Her father is Detective Upton," I mumble.
"Jesus Christ. You were right to be suspicious of Trix," Milo says, shaking his head. "She's friends with a fucking cop's daughter!"
My stomach twists as I stare at the blonde girl.
It's definitely the woman Trix was with at the diner.
"She can't carry on working here," Milo adds. "He's probably planted her here, thinking we'd willingly trust her and let our guard down because she's a woman."
"I don't think he's the reason she's working here," I tell him.
Whirling around, he stares at me in horror.
"Are you joking? You've been suspicious of her since she got here, and now we find out she's friends with the daughter of the dirty pig who has a vendetta against us all, and you've suddenly changed your mind?"
Confused by my own thoughts, I shrug.
"Liam was the one who brought her here, man. She didn't just rock up here by herself. There's a high possibility she has no idea what Michael Upton's like. Besides, I doubt he'd rope her into one of his little schemes."
Milo scoffs and steps closer, jabbing his finger into my chest.
"I don't know what the fuck has gotten into you, Reeve. This whole situation is fishy, and you'd usually be all over this. I understand she's pretty, and she's friends with your brother, but you need to open your eyes and see this for what it is, man."
"My eyes are wide fucking open," I growl, slapping his hand away. "My judgement isn't skewered just because I'm, somewhat, infatuated with her. I'm thinking logically, and it makes no sense for her to be here as a mole for that asshole!"
He shakes his head and rolls his eyes.
"Ghost, send me a copy of this. I need to go talk to the Prez."
He storms out of the room, and I sigh, running my fingers through my hair.
"He's gonna try and get her kicked out of here," Ghost says, clicking around on his laptop as, I presume, he sends the documents to Milo.
"Well, I'm not letting that happen," I reply, striding out of the room.
Charging up the stairs, I bypass Milo's bedroom door, and push through the door opposite mine.
Finding Mouse in the communal living area upstairs is no surprise to me, but hearing the echoes of my best friend shouting at his father is.
Huffing, I move around the table, then head down the hallway, taking a deep, calming breath before pushing open the door to the meeting room.
Callux is sitting at the head of the table, his jaw resting on his hands as he stares at his son. Milo's flailing his arms around as he goes on a tangent about how we've allowed Trix to work here without doing enough research on her.
The President's eyes flick to mine, and his lips tug up at the corners before his attention moves back to Milo.
Lifting a hand in the air, Milo immediately stops talking, jaw set and nostrils flaring.
He hates being silenced by his father—always has—but he's already disrespected him by charging in here and shouting loud enough for everyone in the house to hear, so his only option now is to shut up and let Callux talk.
Sighing, Callux leans back in his chair and motions for us to take a seat on either side of him.
"I did a thorough check on Trix when you came to me about getting her a job here," he says to Milo. "I already knew she was friends with the Upton girl, especially when her last known address was the same as the girl's current address."
"And you didn't see an issue with that?" Milo asks.
"I would have if she still lived in the apartment owned by Detective Upton, and if she came here by herself looking for a job.
But she doesn't. And she didn't." He leans forward, resting his arms on the table.
"It's my understanding she was desperate for a job because of her living situation changing, and Liam suggested she work here.
Personally, I think she would've gladly worked anywhere. "
"Yet she chose to work here."
My narrowed eyes slice to Milo and I shake my head.
"It seems like she didn't really have any other choice but to work here."
"Shut up," he snaps. "Up until yesterday morning, you didn't want her working here, and now you've suddenly changed your mind? What could've possibly changed since then?"
"I spoke to her, just like you suggested I do," I retort.
He tuts, drags his gaze away, then spins it toward his dad.
"She needs to go."
Callux arches a brow while I release a humorless chuckle.
"You can't have her quit her job just because of who she's friends with."
"Yes, we can. Clearly, she's going to bring trouble to us all. And last I checked, it's your job to keep us, and this club safe. Your loyalty lies with us, not some pretty bitch you want to stick your dick in. There's no other choice here. She's friends with a pig's daughter. She needs to go."
Scrunching my nose in disgust, I shake my head in disbelief.
"You sound exactly like my father did when he disagreed with my friendship with you," I tell him, then push away from the table and storm out of the room, anger swarming my body.
I can understand his apprehension. I should probably be acting the same way he is, but the difference is, I've spoken to her, and spent a short amount of time around her now.
I no longer believe she's here for the wrong reasons.
It's also not fair for me to judge her for being friends with Emery, because if Trix is friends with her, that means Liam is too.
If I agree to the fact that Trix isn't allowed to be here due to their friendship, then I'd also be agreeing to never allowing Liam here again.
Too many years of my life were spent not talking to him, unable to know him and be there for him, and I won't allow a stupid friendship to make that happen again.
Besides, just because this girl is a cop's daughter, it doesn't mean she's anything like him.
Sometimes, the apple falls extremely far from the tree.
I'm living proof of that.